The Stations of the Cross
(also called the Way of the Cross or Via Dolorosa) recall the
Passion of our Lord, Jesus Christ. They became commonly used in
the seventeenth century. While we now use 14 stations, the number
and theme of the stations has varied through the centuries. This
very popular devotion is a spiritual pilgrimage of the final hours
of Christ, leading the faithful to prayer and meditation along
the road of sorrow.
The existing stations are the
original stations from 1904. They have been cleaned and painted over the years,
though, and the large crosses visible in the photo of the 1904 church (below left) are gone. If you look
closely at the station at the right side of this photo (Station
3), you see the soldier with a trumpet in one hand holding a
spear in the other. That spear apparently has been lost between
then and now, comparing to the modern Station 3 in the photo below right (arrow points to hand with no spear).
There are two ways to see
our stations or meditate:
- select each station from
the list below and return here to select another
- click <here> for the opening prayer and the "next
station" arrow
There are many "cyberStations"
available, including these:
Last Update: August 3, 2003
Questions or comments? Contact webmaster@ourladypittsburg.com
